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Beaverton Schools

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is essential to the success of our mission as educators. It also provides a foundation for responsible conduct in our students’ lives after graduation.

It can be difficult to translate values, even widely-shared values, into action—but action is badly needed now to promote academic integrity on our campuses. Researchers agree that rates of cheating among American high school and college students are high and increasing. Particularly alarming is research gathered by Who’s Who Among High School Students indicating that 90 percent of high-achieving, college-bound students have cheated, that they think cheating is commonplace, and that more than half do not consider cheating a serious transgression. New technologies have also made it easier to cheat.

The International Center for Academic Integrity defines academic integrity as a commitment to five fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. We believe that these five values, plus the courage to act on them even in the face of adversity, are truly foundational to the academy. Without them, everything that we do in our capacities as teachers, learners, and researchers loses value and becomes suspect.

All material is from The Fundamental Values of Academic Integrity
https://academicintegrity.org

Honesty

Academic communities of integrity advance the quest for truth and knowledge through intellectual and personal honesty in learning, teaching, research, and service.

 

Trust

Academic communities of integrity both foster and rely upon climates of mutual trust. Climates of trust encourage and support the free exchange of ideas which in turn allows scholarly inquiry to reach its fullest potential

 

Fairness

Academic communities of integrity establish clear and transparent expectations, standards, and practices to support fairness in the interactions of students, faculty, and administrators

 

Respect

Academic communities of integrity value the interactive, cooperative, participatory nature of learning. They honor, value, and consider diverse opinions and ideas.

 

Responsibility

Academic communities of integrity rest upon foundations of personal accountability coupled with the willingness of individuals and groups to lead by example, uphold mutually agreed-upon standards, and take action when they encounter wrongdoing.

 

Courage

To develop and sustaining communities of integrity, it takes more than simply believing in the fundamental values. Translating the values from talking points into action - standing up for them in the face of pressure and adversity - requires determination, commitment, and courage.